St. Landry democrat., 1887-07-02
MAKING FURNITURE.
ART AND INDUSTRY CB-OPERAT-
ING FOR HOME ADORNMENT.

nowadays recognized department of
art. Inventive genius has been busy
perfecting machinery by which the con-
ceptions of the artist can be quickly re-
produced to any extent. Art and indus
try have been happily united for the
identifying of the home.
In no country is furniture so well
made as in America. The greatest care
is exercised in the selection and prepar-
alton of stock, the lumber being first
steamed to drive out the sap an then
kiln dried. At the present time oak,
mahogany, black walnut and cherry are
the principal woods used in the manu-
facture of fine furniture. Ash has been
discarded for two reasons In the hrst
place, it is so hard to work, and then,
too, while the outer surface may be very
firm, the carving tools cutting through
this find the underlying tibres in many
instances soft and to certain degree
PUPPY. When such is the case the outer
surface scales off, disfguring the piece
| of furniture.
of fashion, except in certain parts OF
the country, but it is still used for the
| tops of washstands. The lumber, ready
| for use, is cut into different degrees of
thickness-quarter of an inch, half inch,
| inch, two, two and half and three
| inches, according as it is intended for
| drawers, uprights, rails for bedsteads,
| etc, common sense and judgment being
used that this be done to the best ad-
vantage, wasting as little stock as pos
sible, for in case of mahogany, for in
stance, which costs from sixteen to
twenty cents per foot, bad judgment in
cutting would result in actual loss Of
money. These parts are put through the
sand papering machine, or in some fac
| tories through the planer, in both cases
rendering the surfaces smooth as glass.
The parts now go to the different ma
chimes, some to be dovetailed, doweled,
carved and sawed.
The carving machine, which does the
work -"in the rough" is an ingenious
Continuance arranged in a similar manner
to a. draughting apparatus familiar to
every one. The pieces intended for
carving are fatty secured with clamps
under knife attached to long arm
connected with and worked by compll-
Gated arrangement. At the opposite end
of this arm pin is fastened to it perpen-
dicularly. The working plan of the leaf
or ornament to be made is laid under
this pin, and when the machine is started
the operator moves the pin along the
outline of the sketch and the knife thus
directed cuts and carves the wood. Re-
| leased from this position, the hand-carver
takes it and works out the details, shapes,
and gives the character to it intended
by the designer. The machine has done
the laborious part, and the skillful work
man is thus greatly assisted. All the
parts are then sand-papered by hand and
s'filled" with liquid preparation to rem
der the surface even tor the application
of varnish. After filling they are rubbed
with sand-paper again, then fitted to-
gether and glued.
A machine has recently been invented
whereby two men can set up a bureau
in six minutes-the work OF at least two
hours for the same men by hand. 1t
consists of two iron uprights shaped
like an inverted letter Y securely bolted
to the floor and set about six feet apart
Extending through the top OF each up
right is thread cut. arm which is adj
justed to revolve. A v%sel is bolted on
the end outside the upright and on the
inside end is frame fitted with thumb
screws, just wide enough TO hold the
- oe Al, h.,r A nf hot pIlIE
stands by and the grooves cut for the two
ends of the bottom rail, the top and drawer
division boards being well coated with
this glue, the different parts are fitted
in, the two wheels on the arms are turned
which brings a pressure to bear, and
holds the whole in position until the
screws are set The screw holes are
bored in each piece before they come te
this machine. The screws are put into
the holes and set in one motion by
means of the spiral screwdriver, doing
away with the old laborious twist. Thu:
set up the bureau is taken to the var
nisher, receives several coats OF yarnlsh
and when this is "set' the polishers taxi
it in hand and rub it down with rotten
stone and OIL 1t is seldom that the flnt
polish of a piano case is desired, but it i
Should be the polishing process is sup
plemented by thorough rubbing dow
with rottenstone and water. AL! tn
other pieces of furniture are varnishet
like the bureau excepting those whlcl
, are simply oiled. ;.
Great taste is at present displayed II
upholstery, and beautiful designs il
gobelin tapestry, cretonne, illumlnate'
F or embossed leather and raw silk are EN-
ployed. Raw silk is only used for ex
pensiye chairs and divans. Tapestry
beautifully set eff by the introduction Q
silk plush and fringe, the latter costln
from $40 to SIS per yard. Suites thu
treated are intended for drawing rooms
where the hangings and general outht al
! yery rich and elaborate. Cretonne is use
= principally for chamber-suites, but tn
is not arbitrary, some modest pario'
e suites being rendered very tasteful ,
r subdued patterns of this covering
; Leather is for the library or OH
' ing-room, and is at once unique an
durable. Chamber and parlor-suitee
!, in white and gold are always.
0 fashion if ones taste runs in that dire
ton. but generally the eye wearies OF y,
. more than a less pronounced finish. IN
! STYLES of Louis XII to XVI are made
Fo., :